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Byleth’s attention was split between Claude and Edelgard on the docks and Hilda right in front of her. Five years did much for the pink haired girl. Despite her constant claims of a lack of fighting spirit at the academy, she was a tough opponent. Both women eyed each other warily before returning their attention to their leaders. As if noticing theirs was drawing to a close, the other fighting around them slowed. After hours of nothing but the sounds of steel ringing against steel, the quiet was almost unsettling.
“Enough,” Claude slid from the back of his injured wyvern and knelt on shaking legs. Despite the exhaustion he must’ve felt, his voice remained strong and Byleth could hear it as well as if she were standing right in front of him. “You’ve bested me. If I die here, the Alliance becomes part of the Empire.”
“Do you yield, then?” As Edelgard slowly lowered her axe, she eyed the man in front of her. “You’ve never known when to give up.”
“Well, I can’t just surrender easily.” Byleth didn’t need to see him to imagine the lopsided smile on his face. “I’m responsible for the others.” Keeping an eye on the axe, he stood and glanced around, as if taking stock of his classmates, perhaps more specifically, of who was still alive. “If you’re as smart as you seem, I bet you’ve figured out why I was able to summon Almyran reinforcements. Wouldn’t it be better to let me go and have me in your debt?” His shoulders shrugged as he raised his hands palm up in a suggestive gesture.
As Edelgard stared the Alliance leader down, Byleth felt Hilda shift and she lifted her blade between herself and the other girl. Hilda’s eyes narrowed. An axe with room to move was trouble. Byleth couldn’t allow Hilda around herself. Tightening her grip on her sword hilt, she kept watch of the other girl’s feet for any signs of motion. Unable to see them, she wondered what expression Edelgard wore when she spoke next.
“There’s no guarantee sparing you will pay out.” Her voice was even. “You lost today Claude.”
“And I might lose again, it’s true. But you’ll benefit no matter what, won’t you?” The moment seemed to stretch endlessly and Byleth wondered whether Clause signaled to his comrades not to interfere or if they did so of their own accord. At last, Edelgard’s voice rose against the silence.
“Everybody! Raise your voices in a victory cheer! Derdriu is ours!” Around them, the Adrestians relaxed and cheered. The Alliance members backed away slowly, their eyes flickering between the enemy and their former leaders. Hilda darted past Byleth and ran to Claude’s side, touching his shoulder gently.
“Thank you, Professor.” Claude shook his head at Hilda before addressing Byleth as she moved closer. “And you, Edelgard.” He nodded to the Emperor. “I’m truly grateful for your courageous decision. I will return your kindness one day… I promise.”
By nightfall, most of the Almyran fleet had raised anchor and sailed to return to their own country. While Edelgard had spared Claude’s life, she was not keen on allowing outside military forces to remain in her newly conquered capital. Claude would follow them once his wyvern’s wounds had healed enough to enable it to make the journey without undue risk. Meanwhile the Adrestian empire was sending messengers to the other lords and ladies of the Alliance under their ex-leader’s seal advising them of the outcome of the battle and presenting them with two choices: surrender peacefully or eviction from their lands and the loss of their titles. In other words: politics. While she was more versed in it than she was in her teaching days, she’d also been missing in action for the past 5 years and most of the inner workings still evaded her. With Edelgard and Hubert in deep discussion about who they should send to ensure the ‘cooperation’ of the disbanding Alliance, Byleth escaped to the docks.
“Thought I might find you out here, Teach.” An easy voice sounded from behind her. Turning slightly, she raised an eyebrow as Claude approached. Smiling sheepishly, he shook his head. “Fine. I guess I’d hoped I’d find you here.” Standing beside her, he stretched. As his arms went behind his head, Byleth noted the muscles that flexed under the cotton of his shirt. Claude had really filled out since the academy days… He’d grown his hair out too and she resisted the urge to run her fingers through it, just as she did that day.
“Teach,” a cheerful voice calls louder than what is socially acceptable in a library. “I’ve been looking for you.” Byleth set the book she’d been browsing back into its shelf and crossed her arms as she waited for Claude to reach her. With a curious mind, she knew he would never let up until he’d said his piece.
“You know I’m not the faculty representative of the Golden Deer, right Claude?” He waved a dismissive hand. She told him every time he came looking for her and his answer was always the same.
“I know, I know. But you’re the only interesting one. Professor Hanneman has been trying to tackle your ‘unknown crest’, right? Well, I think I’ve found something.” With a flourish, he presented her with a book titled The Blood of Crests . “It’s a genealogical history text. I figured we could cross reference it with notes on the academy’s past employees and students.” He smiled at her expectantly, no doubt awaiting praise. When she didn’t provide it right away, he added “it will help us find your mother.”
An odd feeling wormed its way into her heart then. Not quite suspicion. Claude was the type to see a question without an answer and feel the need to dig for it, especially one as tantalizing as the mysterious origins of her crest. Since her father has never been very forthcoming about her mother, she and Claude had been going through notes and reports from the time when Jeralt was still at the monastery. But none of them mentioned him being close with anyone. Not that Byleth had expected it to- the private affairs of the residents weren’t typically recorded. But Claude had suggested that, perhaps, they’d find notes of Jeralt rescuing a “damsel in distress” or, at the very least, having a lady in his patrol group. Anything that would give them a starting point. And, well, Byleth didn’t have any other ideas.
Confused? Why would he go so far to help her? And why did she seem so willing to let him? Although the Black Eagles were her charge, Byleth knew she was allowed to assist any student who approached her for help. But this wasn’t even Claude requesting help for something of his own. No, this was Byleth’s puzzle to unravel.
Relenting, she gathered the archive records they’d pulled weeks before and set them down on their usual desk. Not many students had long projects and the teachers who worked on their own experiments had offices and didn’t need to use up space in the library for their work. Which meant most of what they needed was already within reach.
They worked in a companionable quiet. Every so often, Claude would call out a noble house and Byleth would check the records for anyone under that name. Beside his book was a rough sketch of what Byleth recognized as the symbol Hanneman’s device had pulled up. Since she was waiting for the next name-check, she leaned her head on her hand and studied him curiously.
Claude always seemed so cheerful, yet watchful too. As if he was expecting something to happen at any moment. His eyes were always alert and she noticed he rarely accepted anything alcoholic, even when the officers were allowed a taste. Not that she was watching what he drank, of course. But when a bunch of rowdy, slightly tipsy teenagers need herding back to their rooms, it stands out when one, said teenager is sober enough to assist in the roundup. With how focused he was on reading, he didn’t react as his braid fell forward. Byleth’s fingers itched with the desire to brush it aside. There was just something so-
“Is my face really that interesting?” Green eyes flickered up to meet hers and she startled back. “Teach?” Byleth shook her head, rubbing her hand over her face.
“It’s nothing. Guess I’m just more tired than I thought.” The long hm he emitted and the furrow of his brows showed he didn’t quite believe her, but he opted not to pry. Rising, Byleth sorted the records back together. “Let’s call it a night.”
“But-”
“Get some rest Claude.” She gave him a long look. “Teachers orders.” He chuckled and stuck the drawing in the book as a bookmark.
“Alright, alright. Have a good night, Teach.”
“Byleth.” Jerking back from memories of the past, she blinked at Claude. A bemused expression looked back at her. “A copper for your thoughts?” After a moment of hesitation, she sighed.
“Just remembering our academy days.” Green eyes glowed keenly as he straightened.
“Good memories I hope?” It’d been so long since Byleth carried out a conversation with Claude that she was surprised she could still hear the undercurrents of his words. Smirking, she gave him a sidelong look.
“For the most part.” As she expected, his brows furrowed and his lips pressed together in a pout. Holding back a laugh, she shook her head. “And you?” At his questioning look, she prompted further. “Did you ever find what you were looking for?” That frown deepened and she wondered if he’d deny looking for anything in particular during his time at the academy, but instead he turned his gaze out to the water.
“Yea.” The word was soft out of his mouth and an easy quiet descended upon them, quite different from their earlier encounter. “And you, Teach?” Byleth’s head tilted to one side. “Have you found what you’re looking for?” As her own attention shifted to the water, she was aware of his searching gaze on her. What was he looking for?
What was she looking for? She had her answers. She knew what Rhea had done; and was quickly learning what the archbishop was willing to do. She stood with Edelgard because the young emperor was fighting for their own vision of the future. One that Byleth would like to see brought to fruition. But was that what she was looking for? No. That was Edelgard’s dream.
“I don’t know.” Finally, she said the only thing she could.
“What will you do after Edelgard wins?” Raising an eyebrow, she turned to frown at him. Did he truly have that much confidence in her? Byleth did because she knew the Black Eagle Strike Force would not falter, not this close to their finish. But Claude’s eyes were steady as he stared back. Ah . Just as he figured what the outcome of their battle was, he knew what would happen should the Empire fall to the Kingdom. Still, her answer remained the same.
“I don’t know.” The confession felt.. cold in her mouth. Her desire to continue to serve Edelgard did not change. But she was still left with a certain.. aimless feeling. When he didn’t respond right away, she wondered if he was going somewhere with the conversation. Another moment later, she heard him inhale deeply.
“How would you like to come to Almyra?”
“Almyra?” Making sure she heard him correctly, she stared with wide eyes. He nodded and reached for her hand. Allowing him to take it, she watched as he raised it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. As he brushed a kiss on her knuckles, she felt him press something into her hands.
“Almyra.” He confirmed before releasing her. “I’ll be waiting for you, Byleth.” With that he turned and walked into the night. Byleth’s mind took longer to snap back.
“Claude!” But, of course, there was no answer. He was likely long gone by then. Opening her palm, she stared at what he’d given her.
A coin stamped with a wyvern on one side and a bow and arrow on the other gleamed in the moonlight.
Almyra .